SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for tougher legislative action to curb the rapid spread of illegal online gambling, as unlicensed betting sites continue to lure millions of Filipinos into gambling addiction.
During a recent Senate hearing, Gatchalian questioned the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center on whether blocking operations are sufficient.
“Parang kabute ang mga ito – kahit ma-block ngayon, bukas andyan na naman. It’s never ending. Dapat putulin na ang ugat. Have you gone further than blocking?” Gatchalian asked the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center.
The CICC said it has blocked an average of 50 thousand online gambling sites, 95-97% of which operate from outside the country.
Authorities explained that they can only block access within Philippine jurisdiction, making full takedown impossible, which is a key enforcement challenge of cross-border operations.
Responding to the senator’s call for legislative proposals, CICC executive director Renato Paraiso recommended appointing cyber diplomats to bolster international cybersecurity cooperation, noting that the Philippines is the only country yet to designate such officials.
He also said the country can expand mutual legal assistance treaties to cover cybercrimes, as existing agreements address only traditional offenses.
Last year, Gatchalian filed the Online Gambling Regulatory Act seeking to establish a stringent regulatory framework for online gambling instead of imposing a total ban that could push operations underground.
The post End to illegal online gambling pushed appeared first on Journal News Online.
